Rs 20-crore trust set up for Telgu Desam party workers
Party received Rs 14 crore from party workers after Naidu's appeal
Hyderabad: Telugu Desam chief and AP Chief Minister-designate N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the setting up of a Rs 20-crore trust for the welfare of party workers. Speaking at the Mahanadu on Wednesday he said that the party had received Rs 14 crore during the day, after his appeal, and the party itself has Rs 6 crore in surplus funds. The TD has used this money to set up the trust.
Mr Naidu made the announcement after his son and party leader Nara Lokesh asked for the fund after being asked by party workers. He suggested the setting up of a special committee to look after the welfare of party workers. Mr Naidu asked activists to contribute to the party, even if the sum was as little as Rs 1 every year.
If party workers and leaders have their own business, they must donate 1 per cent of their annual income; those with big businesses should donate 0.25 per cent. If the activists are otherwise employed, they should donate two days of their monthly income to the party fund, he said. Soon after Mr Naidu’s call, party leaders announced that they had collected around Rs 14 crore in donations.
Mr Lokesh said that the activists had saved the party although some leaders left the party. Mr Lokesh pointed out that Mr Naidu had started a school at Gandipet to give free education to the children of poor party workers, and was affording free treatment. He asked Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy if his father, the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had anything that. He said “one ‘donga abbai’ toured the state campaigning that his father was a great leader, some TD leaders fell in his trap and left the party, but workers stayed us.”
He said that a few days back a YSRC leader had asked him how the TD was retaining party workers. He said that the YSRC was paying party activists “money, biryani and a quarter bottle (of liquor)”, Mr Lokesh claimed. Mr Lokesh said he told the YSRC leader that Mr Naidu treats party workers as his family, and assists them when they are in need. “But your party president (Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy) never bothers about party workers,” Mr Lokesh said he told the YSRC activist.